I'm no expert on them by any means... But I had one last year that a buddy gave me brand new since he said it "wasn't his style"

Mine only made it two weeks. But perhaps I had a bunk one.

It was a "polar pop-up" made of plastic. The reel broke right off in the cold weather just becuase I knocked it lightly on the side of the hole while lifting it out at the end of the day.

Also- if you are thinking of the same model (with an adjustment thumb screw to set the distance between magnets for sensitivity) the release is really unreliable.

The one I owned had orange flagging tape as the "flag". And it only popped up every now and then. And when it did pop up it rose like 3" so it was hard to tell if it was even triggered or not. But could see how that could be handy since they take up very little space in a sled. But so do beaverdams, and they rule.

I totally don't want to contradict Pooley, 'cuz the man knows his stuff!

But if you're looking at the cheap plastic ones with metal fold-out legs, I would say you are better served just getting cheap wooden ones that work well!!!

(Unless you only ice fish once a season- then they would be great because when they break you don't even have to bring them home with you, ha!)

I bet the 'well made' ones are a totally different brand!!!

Logged

"Once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right"

I have some that my dad used when i was little. I HATE THEM! If its bright out and there is snow, you can't tell if its up from a distance. Even when its popped up, the magnets are still there, so every turn of the reel gives resistance- i've come to them more than one time to find exactly one turn of the reel and a spit out minnow. If thats not the case then its popping up for no reason because the magnets are too far apart.

Stick with tipups. The fish can run with no resistance and they will work correctly everytime.

I bought one...junk junk junk....a walleye wants to feel no resistance when it takes a bait. With this type of tipup this is almost imposable. You cannot really adjust them to free flow very good. Harder to see in daytime. This one has a little tiny red light at night, you cannot hardly see it very far away.Just my experience.

Your better off with a set of 40 ups or something. Have seen them for years, none of them ever worked well. On the bright side of them though, We had a guy show up to fish with us with them. He proceeded to get plowed, and was staggering all over stepping on gear and busting up the shanty. My brother grabbed a can of water and poured some over every one of his tip ups. They froze, wouldn't pop up if they had to. LOLfunniest part was when we were picking up, he was passed out in the sled, he had lost a reel, guess the big one had bit his line....